However, Black rudely surprises White with 10.Bg4!, reaching a winning position. But clever Whites will see an apparent flaw in this scheme: 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Nxg6 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 (see diagram) when 10.Qxg6 can be met by 11.Qxa5, e.g. Instead, Black plays 6.Qe7! 7.d4 f6! intending to regain his pawn after 8.Nf3 Qxe4+. Now White could respond to 6.Qg5?! with 7.Nf3! Qxg2 8.Rg1 Qh3 9.Rxg7, since the tempting 9.Bg4 is met by 10.Ng1!, staying a pawn ahead after 10.Bxd1 11.Nxh3. After the natural 4.c3 Ba5, inquiring minds will want to know why White can't just win a pawn with 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nxe5, as White played in the above game. On to the trap, which comes from IM Gary Lane at this week. Championship 2005 and a draw in Anand-Hector, Palma de Mallorca 1989. That makes it an even rarer bird, by a factor of ten, than Bird's Defense to the Ruy Lopez (3.Nd4), seen in 502 games, 250 of them in the past 30 years.įor such an obscure line, Alapin's brainchild hasn't done badly, including a 22-move win in A. It's only been played in 40 games in 's 600,000-game database, only 25 of those in the last 30 years. Alapin did reasonably with it, including draws with Steinitz, Blackburne and Schlechter. It's 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bb4!?, a really stupid-looking move that does have the virtues of stopping an immediate d4 and preparing to play. Among Alapin's lesser-known eponymous variations is Alapin's Defense to the Ruy Lopez. The only one of much significance today is his line against the Sicilian, 1.e4 c5 2.c3, a solid line that has been played by many grandmasters and causes fits to higher-rated Black players because it's tough to beat. Semyon Alapin was a strong Russian master who originated a number of opening lines, such as the Alapin Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Ne2?!, intending to play a sort of King's Gambit Deferred with f4).

E4 e5 nf3 nc6 bb5 nf6